Almost from the moment Marlow arrives at the Outer Station he starts hearing about Mr. Kurtz- from the accountant, the manager, the brick maker, and finally from the Russian. And he tells us a lot about Kurtz himself, especially during the long digression that comes just after the attack, a few pages before the end of Chapter II. But Kurtz himself is on the scene for only a few pages, and we learn less about him from observation than we do from what these other characters say about him. In fact, after all the build- up, his appearance may even seem a little disappointing: he never turns out to be as exciting as the "unspeakable rites" we're told he participated in. But Kurtz is more important for what he represents than for what he does- we don't get to see him do much of anything. Although he isn't the subject of the novel (Marlow's spiritual journey is), you could call him the focus, the catalyst to which the other characters react. He's more present in his effect on others than in himself. Some characters, such as th

But Kurtz has one quality that even in his degradation places him on a level above most of the other whites Marlow encounters in Africa. That quality is consciousness. Kurtz recognizes the evil of his actions; in fact, as the Russian informs us, he suffers from that knowledge. The other whites in Africa commit acts (the enslavement and massacre of huge numbers of people) that they don't even recognize as wrong. So when Marlow talks about the "choice of nightmares" represented by the manager and Kurtz, he puts his loyalty with Kurtz, who at least isn't petty, though he is brutal. The manager, on the other hand, is a talent less nobody who in his pettiness still brings suffering to others. The depths to which Kurtz sinks is a measure of the heights he could have risen to.

Even though he isn't strongly present as a personality, as a symbol he's a figure loaded with meaning. Kurtz is a microcosm- a whole in miniature- of the white man's failure in Africa: he goes equipped with the finest technology and the highest philanthropic ideals and ends up injuring (even killing) the Africans and stealing their ivory. He reduces technology to the guns he uses to plunder ivory.

Conrad even goes as far to call Kurtz a symbol of the modern age. He symbolizes what Conrad feels is the decline in moral values in society, or rather the lack of morals when “society” is no longer present to lend a watchful eye. Kurtz’s last words, "The horror! The horror!" seem to be a message to himself and, through Marlow, to the world. Through Marlow's summary and moral reactions, we come to realize the possibilities of the meaning rather than a definite meaning. "The horror" to Kurtz became the nightmare between Europe and Africa. To Marlow, Kurtz's last words came through wh

Some topics in this essay:
Russian Intended, Europe Kurtz's, Inner Station, Intended Kurtz, Actions Marlow, II Kurtz, Joseph Conrad’s, Outer Station, Station Kurtz's, Marlow Kurtz's, brick maker, russian intended, kurtz represents, words kurtz, kurtz's words, inner station,